Mounting for fuel tanks



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MOUNTING For: FUEL Tums Filed Nov. 27, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HENRY W. CRAIG July 25, 1944. H. w. CRAIG MOUNTING ion FUEL 'rmxs I v mea'u 27, 1941 I HENRY w. CRAIG Patented July 25,1944

I .aasuas MOUNTING FOB FUEL TANKS Henry. W. Craig; Akron, hio ,-assignor t6 The.

Firestone Tire &. Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application November 27, 1941, Serial No. 0,699

This invention relates to mounting for fuel tanks, and more especially. it'relates tofuel tank mountings for motor. driven .vehicles' adapted readily to enable the jettisoning of the tanks when desired. i

The invention is of especial. utility in its appl cation to the armed and armored military vehicles known asf tanks. In actual combat, such vehicles are used in'the van of the offensive forces to effect a fbreak through, and to hold the o'ccu-- piedterrain until they can be supported by" infantry troops. The vehicles usuallyare propelled by liquid fuel, and under the conditions noted their supply of fuel cannotbe replenished .until the supply columns following the infantry have arrived Thus it is important that thevehicles have an ample supply of fuel to carry out the tactical maneuver planned, otherwisethey may become immobilized with possible'serious results."

Obviously the fuel tanks of thevehiclesmust be protected from gun fire, and for'this reason they are mounted interiorly of the vehicles where they areprotected by the armor thereof. The sze of the tanks, however, is necessarily limited by the need for space within the vehicle for ainmuni tion and other necessary supplies, and for the crew that operates the vehicle andits various weapons. 1

To extend the range of' operation of vehiclesof I the character mentioned, ithas been proposed to equip the vehicles with auxiliary fuel tanks'that are mounted upon the exterior of the vehicles,v and which may be jettisone'd'whenever the vehicles enter combat areas, the jettisoned tanks subsequently being salvaged when possible. The

arrangement enables the vehicles to enter com-- bat with their main fuel tanks full, andfthereby val than otherwise would be possible. Jettiso ning of the auxiliary tanks is effected by the crew of prises a metal lining ,[FigL 3. and'anlexterna'l the vehicle from theinterior thereof. and it is to improved means for mounting the auxiliary; tanks and for effecting the, release thereof tha this invention primarily is directed. 2'

The chief objects of the invention are to provide a simple and efllcient mounting for supporting a fuel tank upon the body'of a vehicle; to pro- I vide a mounting of the character mentioned that will cause the fuel tank to fall to the ground upon release of simple tank-reta ning means; and to provide improved means manually operable from the interior of the vehicle for releas ng the tankretaining means. Other objects will be manifest as the description proceeds.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an armored motor vehicle equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks] on its externalstructure, and tank-mounting means embodying the'invention supporting the tanks onthe vehicle;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view. on a larger f scale, of the vehicle shown in Fig. 1,.including the fuel tanks and their supports;

Figure" 3 is a side elevation of one of the fuel tanks and its supporting structure, apart thereof. being broken'away and in section; and

Figure '4 is an end elevationof the structure shown in Figure 3, as viewed from the right thereof. f I

Referring'to Figure 1 of the drawings there is shown a conventional armed and armored combat vehicle ll) of the general typefknown as a tank. endless articulatedtracks'll, II that are driven by a 'suitable'g'asoline or oil driven motor. (not The'vehicle is propelled by. the usual shown) within the vehicle,'the main reservoir of liquid fuel forthe motor also being located interiorly of the. vehicle to protect it from gunfire. Ingaddition to its main fuel reservoir, the vehicle is provided with'auxiliary fuel tanks'l2, ii that are mounted upon the superstructure of the vehicle, 'at the sides thereof. in position to fall clear of thevehicle upon operation of releasable means 7 that attach themto the vehicle.

Each tank I2 is of. cylindrical shape, and comit strikes the groundupon being jettisoned. If.

desired," the tank-cover l5 may be of bullet-sealing composition, although it is intended that the to continue mobile operation for a longer interu tank be jettlsoned before the vehlcle enters an area where it is exposed to gunfire. Within each tank are the usual baflleplates I6. The tanks. are mounted upon the vehicle in horizontal position.'and in that side of each tank that is uppermost when so mounted there is an opening I! by means of whichthe tank is filled with fuel,

said opening being provided with a suitable cap or bung 1a. Thetank outletis located at the diametrically opposite side thereof from the opening ll, which is the lowest region of the tank when the same is mounted on the'vehicle. Said outlet comprises ashort tubular metal pipe N that extends through the wallof the tank, and a flexible hose 20, preferably of bullet sealing 2 masque from the valve 2| and thereby prevents loss of fuel from the tank. Since the specificconstruction of said valves is not a part of the present: invention, it is believed that a morecomprehensive showing thereof willnot be necessary.

For mounting each of the tanks i2 upon the vehicle a pair of ramps 25, is provided, which ramps are suitably secured to the superstructure of the vehicle,at theedge of a horizontalsurface thereof. As is best shown in Fig. 4, each ramp comprises an arcuate surface 25a that has a radius of the same length as the radiusof the external surface of the tank l2, and a straight surface 25b in extension of said arcuate surface, said straight surface being downwardly inclined with relation'to the horizontal surface of Ithewehicle structure upon which the ramp is mounted, the terminus of said flat portion of the ramp being at the edge of said horizontal surface of thevehicle. Each pair of ramps 25 .is so positioned as to receive the opposite end portions of a tank I! thereon, each ramp having an upstandinglateral flange 28 on one side thereof, which flangeis disposed beside an endwall of the tank and prevents axial movement of the latter.

A tank l2 rests upon ramps 25 with its arcuate peripheral surface flush upon the arcuate surfaces;

25a of the ramps, and is held in this position by a pair of flexible girths 23, 2l'which may be composed of textile material such as cotton webbing. One'end ofeachgirth 23 is provided with a metal loop 29,Fig.'4, that is pivotally connected to one'end of a turn-buckle 30, the other endof the latter being pivotally connected to a bracket sheaves II- the csbles 3| extend to the interior ofthe vehicle, entering the same through suitable apertures, such as the slot 31, iormed at the base ofs cupola 33 on the vehicle. Thus the cables are accessible tothe crew'of the vehicle within the protective armor thereof. The arrangement is such that when a pair.of cables 35 are pulled. the pins. connected thereto are withdrawn from the-ears 33 and the metal loops 32, thus releasing the outer ends of the girthbands 28. This enables the tank to'roll by gravity down the inclined ramps .25 and drop from the vehicle, the valvedconnections previously described preventinglossof fuel.

The invention is simple in construction and operation, and achieves the several advantages set out in the foregoing statement of objects.

Modification maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention, or the scope thereof asdeiined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: l. A fuel tank mounting of the character described oomprising a downwardly sloped ramp uponwhich af-uel tan'kis positionable, a flexible girth extending partly about the tank and having itsends anchored to the ramp at opposite ends of the latter, means at one end of the girth for tightening it about the tank, quickly releasable means at the other end of the girth for disengaging its connection with the ramp, and

:means extending .to a point relatively remote from the tank for operating said quickly releasable means.

2. A fuel tank mounting. of the character described comprising a downwardly sloped ramp upon which a fuel tank is positionable, a flexible girth extendingpartly about the tank and having its endsanchored to the ramp to retain the tank thereon, a turn-buckle atone end of the girth for tightening the same, the girth anchoring means at theother end of the girth comprising a i locking pin, and means-connected tosaid pin and extending to a point relatively remote from the tankto enable manual withdrawal of the pin to 145 effect releaseof the tank.

3| that is mounted upon a ramp structure II, at V the end thereof remote from the edge of the horizontal surface on which the ramp is mounted. At its other end each girth is provided with a metal loop 32 that is receivable between a .pairo'f apertured ears 33,33 formed on the ramp structure 25 at the lower end of the inclined surface 25b thereof, and'a pin is inserted through the apertures in said ears and through the loop 32 for releasably anchoring the front .end of the girth. By means of the tum-buckles 30 the girth straps 2| may be drawn tightly about the tank 12 to hold the same securely upon the ramps 25.

To jettison a tank. l2 requires only the withdrawal of the two pins 34 that connect the girths 28 to the fears 33 of the ramps 25. To this end the confronting ends of the pins 3| are formed. with respective loops or eyes to which are connected respective cables 35, the latter being trained about respectivesheaves 36 that are mounted upon the vehicle structure below the tank l2 and between the ramps 25. From the 3..A'fuel tank mounting of the character described comprising a pair of parallel downwardly sloped ramps upon which a cylindrical tank is positionable on a, horizontal axis, .a lateral, flange oneach ramp adapted-to limit endwise movement of the tank, apairof girths embracing the tank to retain it upon .the;ramps,'quickly releasable means for disengaging bothgirthsfrom the tank,

andmeansfor concurrently operating said quickly releasable means from a point relatively remote from 'the tank. v v

4. A fuel tank mounting of the character described comprising a downwardly sloped ramp upon WhichLa fuel'tank is positionable, a flexible girth extending partly about the tank with its ends anchoredto.securesaid'tank upon said ramp,

means at-one end of the girth for tightening it about the tank, quickly releasable means at the other endof'thegirth for-disengagingits connection with the ramp,'and means extending to a point relatively remote from the tank for operating said quickly releasable means.

' HENRY'W. CRAIG. 

